Man Stabbed on X2 Bus at 11th and H Street, NE Around 6pm Last Night

“The assault happened near the intersection of 11th and H streets just before 6 p.m, said Officer Hugh Carew, a D.C. police spokesman. Police found the wounded man conscious and breathing, and he was taken to a hospital in serious condition.”

I would be tempted to post “this makes me feel unsafe in my neighborhood,” but I recently replied to another frustrating crime post saying “sometimes it’s so hard for me not to hate this town.” A bunch of a-hole anonymous commenters retorted with a medley of “because DC is the ONLY city where there’s crime, jesus” and “move to the suburbs/if you don’t like the city, leave” responses.

So instead, I guess I’ll just say “whatever, don’t ride the X2 if you can’t brave a little opportunistic stabbing! or move to Vienna!”

I think most people would just differentiate between not being street smart enough not to leave visible luggage in a car on a city street vs the fear of getting stabbed on a city bus. I don’t lumping it all under crime makes a lot of sense.

I am completely aware that it’s not the same thing. But often when I (or anyone else on here) bemoan crime in this town, there is someone (generally an “Anonymous”) quick to make some sort of “well, don’t be so stupid as to walk in X area at night” or “the victim shouldn’t have been doing X” or “clearly the victim somehow set themselves up for it” sort of reply.

That guy COULD have had a suitcase visible in the car, but none of us knew that for sure (it could have been in the trunk).

But I think that when I make a statement about how much I hate crime in DC or my neighborhood, I should not have a bunch of anonymous comments telling me to move away.

But you just compared the two in your previous post. Which leads me to think that you don’t actually understand the difference between someone who doesn’t have basic city street smarts to concerns about a potentially knife wielding maniac.

I was laughing at the response Anonymous wrote at 10:46 am–because often people would make some sort of “well the victim must have deserved it” response. And if I say “this makes me feel unsafe on my bus line,” there is someone on here likely to tell me to move away if I don’t like it.

I was the anonymous poster who suggested moving to the suburbs. A little mean, I’ll admit. I simply thought your comment about hating this city b/c someone’s car window got smashed was a little oversensitive (and to be clear, the incident in this post is completely different and much more concerning than what I was getting at Tuesday). Listen, I’m 25 years old and have been mugged once (in Baltimore (I think the police refer to it as robbery by fear, they did the ole hand in the hoodie pocket trick)) and have had my car stolen once in College Park (note: suburb, albeit a little unsavory at times) . While I too expect more from my police force, the fact of the matter is, city living can be a little rough around the edges sometimes.

wow, still holding onto some defensiveness from the other post, huh? I think there’s a big difference between an “I hate this town” comment about something as pedestrian as a car break-in (and I say this as someone whose car has been broken into), and a comment lamenting crime after a bus stabbing.

please understand, dc residents are sick of transplants coming in and bitching about how awful it is, doing nothing, and then leaving. so when you posted about hating dc because someone’s car got broken into, it pisses us off.

I see your point, but at the same time: 1) not everyone who expresses an opinion that the level of crime in DC is something we (a broad “we,” as in us PoP readers, police, government, etc.) should just tolerate or brush off (or treat like it’s an inevitability of all urban living, everywhere or some sort of urban-cred badge of honor) is necessarily a transplant; and 2) why are “DC residents” sick of “transplants” complaining about crime, doing nothing, and then leaving…when the very response to concerns/complaints raised about crime is basically “quit complaining, crime happens [ie, no point in trying to do anything about it], and leave if you don’t like it.”

It’s funny, msmaryedith, I feel as though I see two recurring comment-section themes on here (PoP overall, not this thread) constantly:

1) Jaded dismissals of crime concerns, along the lines of “get over it, this is DC, that’s what living in a big city is about, move to the suburbs if you don’t like it” etc. etc.

and….

2) Aggrieved hand-wringing at the mere whiff of possibility that a new housing development might be comprised of–or located in close proximity to (ditto this for commercial development)–affordable housing, supportive housing, “Section 8 people,” people on Medicaid, and of course, everyone’s favorite bogeymen, “thugs.”

Somehow, people love invoking the “this is DC, and if you dont’ like it, leave” sentiment when it relates to #1, but for #2…not so much. Huh.

i dont have to take the X2 for a commute, but I walk along part of route that it takes and have seen numerous fights spill out into the street that started inside the bus. my heart goes out to those non-trashy people that have to ride that route daily.

As a matter of fact, though, there’s a big difference between a guy randomly stabbing a bus passenger and two people who already know each other getting in a fight that happens to be on a bus. Hopefully the cops will soon clarify what it is that happened here.

That line, even in the middle of the day, is a nightmare. I’ve ridden it several times, the last few were the most memorable.

3 times ago; Drunk and potentially homeless man gets on bus, tries to sit on my lap, I offer him my seat, he promptly pees himself, and puddles the seat beside him, as well. 2 pm on a Saturday.

2 times ago; Older woman clearly out of sorts, sitting across from me in the front of the bus, decides it’s the perfect time to lift up her dress and expose her genitals, and point at them, repeatedly, most vigorously. Again, afternoon on a Saturday.

Last, and hopefully final time; Bunch of dudes milling around the Florida Ave. CVS get on, prompted start cat calling women out the window, argue with the bus driver when asked to leave, start fighting with each other, and snatch a purse on the way off the bus, about two blocks later. Noon on a Sunday.

I’m not saying that’s the worse line ever, but three successive trips of craziness, and now this, I’m just not shocked, at all.

I ride it daily, as well, and have never had issues, either (beyond the occasional random crazy people). I’ve found the 90/92/93 to be worse in terms of fights and have also seen occasional random crazy people on a few other lines (42, S2).

Yeah, same, though it is sad that this happening on this bus did not surprise me. I used to ride the X2 home every day and trouble really only ever stemmed from rowdy youths picking on each other and impatient teen moms yanking their children around. I wonder how the bus crowds will shake out once the streetcar is operating (if we ever get to that point!)

Have ridden it at least as often as the most vocal complainers, always at night going to H Street. It seems to get different cohorts of riders entering/departing along the line. Sketchier crowd than the 42 or the 50s, but frankly, there’s a lot that comes with living in or visiting newly hip neighborhoods and expecting Mayberry suggests its time to go somewhere else.

i think it’s quite acceptable to expect decency in your everyday life. the whole, oh you’re a decent person you should move somewhere else is such a weakass bullshit thing to say. that attitude makes the world a worse place.